Terrarium fluorescent tube with UVA and UVB radiation. This standard length T8 UV fluorescent tube light with 2.0% UV-B output is suitable for reptiles, other terrarium animals and birds.
2.0% UVB light is suitable for forest species, which do not bask actively and receive small amounts of direct sunlight. A fluorescent tube producing 2% UVB light can be kept on full day along other lighting. This fluorescent tube is also a suitable UV light source for birds.
2.0% UV-B fluorescent tube produces approximately 15% of UV-A radiation along visible light.
UV-B light is very important for diurnal reptiles that receive natural sunlight in their natural habitat. UV-B-radiation is vital to calcium metabolism and D3 vitamin formation, and lack of UV-B wavelengths can cause serious metabolic problems.
UV-B wavelengths are important to metabolism, while UV-A wavelengths have otherwise positive affect on activity, colors and general condition of diurnal reptiles. Animals from sunny areas are sensitive to lower light wavelengths than humans, which means that they can see part of UV-A radiation as visible light. UV-B fluorescent tubes that illuminate visible light always produce significantly higher amounts of UV-A radiation than UV-B (UV-A wavelengths are between UV-B and visible light). In practice, when an UV-B tube is used, there will be automatically enough UV-A radiation for diurnal species.
UV tube should be positioned above the area where the animals spend much time, preferably above the basking spot. An effective reflector is recommendable in order to direct the light effectively. As UV intensity depends on the distance just like visible light intensity, UV-tube should be positioned as close to the animals as possible.
It should be noted that UVB radiation does not penetrate glass.
Standard T8 (diameter 26mm) Fluorescent Tube length WITHOUT pins:
- 15W = 438mm
- 18W / 20W = 590mm
- 30W = 895mm
- 36W = 1200mm
